Metal sheet prepared for punching.



J. R. HARBECK. METAL SHEET PREPARED FOR PUNGHING. APPLIOATION FILED HAY 4, 1908.

$909,589. Patented Jan. 12,V 1'909.

I To all whom 'it may concern: i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

mavrs RALPH HARBECK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AssIGNOR TOKEMIWELD can COMPANY, or DETROIT,`M1CHIGAN, 'A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN.

EIT@ SIRET PREPARED I'R PUNCBIHG.-

Be it known that'. I, 'Jlinvis RALPH HAR'- iaucx, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Detroit, in' the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and Improved Metal Sheet Prepared for Punching, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relatesv to the manufacture of sheet metal blanks such as, container heads, andits object is to so prepare a sheet of metal that blanks may be sli-eared there- 'from with the greatest economy of material.

This invention consists in a sheet of metal formed with a stop-gage shoulder a distance from one edge, slightly vgreater than one halfv the diameter of a blank.

It further consists in a sheet having the waste material at the ends. removed 'at such points as will prevent small chips from being sheared at the irstand'last strokes of thedie's. p

It further consists in a sheet so sheared that those portions of the sheet that are* usually wastedmay be utilized by cutting the. same into blanksfor smaller container tops.

The accompanying drawing shows a sheet of metal prepared so as to be peculiarly.

adapted for the cutting out of circular blanks.- Where circular blanks are cut from sheets,

l in parallel rows crossing each other at right angles, 'by means of gang punches, the lwaste is usually about 33 per cent. Where the blanks are cut from the sheets in parallel staggered rows as shown in the drawings, the waste is about 28 per cent. By cutting the small rectan lar blanks from the portions that usual y become Waste, the total loss is about 24 per cent. These percentages are sometimes reduced by greater vcare in cutting, -but the diierence between the amounts of waste will remain practically the same. f

I f the large blanks were first punched from the sheets 10, as indicated in dotted lines, the expense of handling the extremely limber scrap would be too great towarrant the attempt to'recoverthe material' to form the small rectangular blanks shown cut out at 11', in the drawing. It is therefore de? sirable to cut the holes 11 before the sheet is taken to the main punching machines.

For reasons to be explained later, it is e specimen@ of Lmr's Patent. Y Appunti@ med my 4, isos. serial No. 430,700.'

raten/ced :mira-190s.

punch so that a considerable space separates each one from the next adjacent. This re-a sults in a part of the dies operating outside` of the sheet at the beginningland endihg of shov in solid lines in the drawlng,` it is rea y for the gang punch. The construc.

*tion andoperation of this punch forms nopart of this present vinvention but is ex-v y plained here to show'the importance of the sheet shown asan article of manufacture.

The dies of the `gang punch are placed in two parallel rows, one Arow being one and one half steps behind the other. (See dotted circles 2 of the drawing.) Thispermits the lower or die members to be of full strength,

been 'prepared idesirable to space vthe dies ofl the `main,

which would be impossible if the` two rows were fas close together as the two lower transverse rows of circles. The punch is also provided with a gage-stop which is. normally in line with one of the dies, butl moves out of the path of the sheet suiciently to permit'the sheet to'be fed one step. The

relative movements are as follows. The stop-gage being at position 13, the sheet is placed with a sho .der of an opening l1 against the same as shown. lThe punches then-come down, one row cutting the circles l and Vthe second row of punches passing through the notches 12 at the/ lower edge of the sheet. The stopgage then moves out of the path of thepsheet, permitting the waste between the opening 11 and circle 1 to pass, the gage at once moving into the path of the sheet so as to assume the relative lposition 14.

-The punch then operates, cutting the circles marked 2. Further o erations of the punch cut the circles marke 3, 4,5, 6 and Iconsecutively with the 3rdv to 7th movements of the machine. At the 8th movement the first j set of punches pass through the notches ..12 at the last end of the sheet, 'while the second row of unches cutthe circles 8, completing the cuttm outofV the blanks.

It will for the stoprgage, that but one stop-gage is noticed that the cutting of the openings 11 forms an abutment or shoulder eo" the punching operations.l `I f the sheet is I claim and desire tosecnre ent 1s:

spacing of the dies of the gang punch. The enttingof the notches 12 is done with openbottom dies, where there is no danger of damage from the waste trimming. The-tools that ent the openings 11 may be forming dies.

While the stop-gage has been indieatedas having bnt one finger, it is to be understood that sets ot' these fingers may be ein loyed, one for each openin 11. `And while circular blanks are indicated in the drawing, any desirable shape may be -cnt with corresponding saving of material.

Having nowI explained my invention, what ,by Letters Patl. A new article of manufacture comprising a sheet ofinetal adapted for entting ont of a multiple of rows of. blanks in staggered relation, said ,sheet having a transverse line of openings n ear one end spaced between the positions of the initial blanks, said end being notched at points between said openings to provide spaces for cutting dies.

2. A newT article of manufactnre'conipris- Y in a substantially rectangular sheet'of metal a apted for lthe cutting ontof a multiple of rows of blanks the cuttings' of adjacent rows to be sta ere said sheets having openlngs cut neer tie yopposite ends, the openings at 30 one end of the sheet being opposite spaces between openin at'the opposite end, said sheetbeing note ed along the ends between vthe openings, the bottomsof the notches in each end'being in a stralght line at rght 35 rows of blanks, the cuttings of 'adj acent rows 40 to be staggered, said sheet having openings cntnear-the opposite ends, the openings at one end of the sheet being opposite spaces between openings at the opposite end, said openings of each end being in a line at'right 45 angles to the side of the sheet` l In testimony whereof, I have signedthis specification .in the presence of two snbscrib-l ing witnesses. 4

J EBV I S RALPH Witnesses:

. ELIZABETH M. BROWN, EDWARD N. PAeELsnN.

HARBECK. 

